The Abyss
by ImpossibleDefined
Summary: SPOILER Annabeth and Percy have hit rock bottom. Literally. In the pits of Tartarus, it's up to them to reach the Doors of Death to stop Gaia's army and shut the doors. Just 1 problem: Tartarus is home to all evil, which means hordes of monsters. And monsters aren't the only things attacking them. All thing Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus belong to Uncle Rick. T to be safe.
1. Hitting Rock Bottom

_Wham!_

Annabeth never wanted to hear that sound again. Even as she lay semi-conscious on the cold stone, the sound echoed through her mind. Accompanying it was the crack of her ankle, and the snap of ribs. She couldn't tell if the sound was her's or Percy's.

Judging by the pain that burned across her entire body, she was still alive. A deep ache pounded relentlessly through her head, casting a syrupy fog across her eyes when she fought to open them.

Annabeth couldn't tell how much time passed. Her head swam, replaying the cracks and snaps and that one huge _wham!_, ringing out with finality in her ears over and over.

Exhausted past the point of delirium, Annabeth set her head down on the ground and let herself drift in the silence. At the moment, she didn't really care if she lived or died. Arachne could spring from the dark at any second, and Annabeth would probably give her a bear hug.

She squeezed shut her eyes, forgetting they were already closed. A serene smile spread across her face as numbness sunk into her pained limbs. Her sigh reverberated through the silence.

Silence! Annabeth fought to open her eyes. Since when did the noises in her head retreat? She wrenched her lids apart.

Nothing. The black was impenetrable.

Annabeth groaned, feeling the full impact of her injuries. She could feel a scream building in the back of her throat, but she forced herself to keep her head.

She stilled her lungs, listening quietly. _Please, gods of Olympus, let Percy be okay. Hera, I swear if he's not alive-. _She cut her threat short. _Yes! _Annabeth could hear a slow, rattling breath, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she spotted a large lump several feet away.

A failed attempt to leap to her feet sent more pain bursting through Annabeth's limbs. Her entire leg throbbed. Instead of walking, she had to lower herself to the ground. Placing her good knee on the ground and planting her hands in front of her, Annabeth dragged her hurt leg behind her as she half-Army-crawled across the ground.

Her sight was still adjusting, so she squealed when her hand ran into something wet. Holding her palm in front of her face, Annabeth squinted closely. With a gasp, she saw that her hand was covered in slick darkness. _Please let it be mud. Or Kool-Aid._

Hesitantly, Annabeth scooted closer to Percy. Her hands flittered above him; she didn't want to hurt him. Finally, she settled on prodding his badly scraped face with her pinky. "Percy! Wake up!"

"Ungh," Percy responded, his eyelids fluttering.

Annabeth lowered her face until it was just above his. Directly into his ear, she shouted, "Seaweed Brain! Get up!"

Slowly, Percy rolled over onto his side, clutching his chest with a low moan. His eyelids opened slowly, a for a moment his clouded sea green eyes held no recognition.

"Annabeth?" He choked out, staring up at her with confusion. Sudden doubt crept into her mid. What if the fall had caused him to lose his memory again? All she could do was press her lips together and nod.

"Holy Zeus, you're okay." Percy sat up swiftly, pulling Annabeth into a tight hug. She could feel his tears slip onto the back of her neck, dragging with them a sliver of dread. She willed her own eyes to stay dry.

Percy stroked Annabeth's hair. "We'll find a way out, I promise," he murmured, seeming to be reassuring himself more than her.

Annabeth nodded. "I know. Are you hurt?" She pushed him back a little, trying to examine him in the dark. Thankfully, the Kool-Aid substance didn't seem to be coming from him.

Percy put a hand to his chest. "Broken ribs, I think. Might've sprained my wrist. Other than that, I'm fine."

A spark of hope shot through Annabeth. They should have died on impact. Were the gods watching over them, even in such an evil place?

Similar hope kindled on Percy's face, but it didn't last long. Annabeth shifted, trying to stand. "We need to see if we can find any supplies."

Percy nodded. "When we fell, something hit us. A book-bag. Do you think..." He didn't finish, not wanting to jinx it. Could their friends have thrown something in after them as the crater closed?

Percy couldn't yet move; Annabeth crawled around on her hands and knees in search of anything to help. At one point, her head banged right into something hard, and she yelped. A metallic _clang _echoed around her.

"Are you okay?" Percy called, worry tainting his voice.

Annabeth quickly crawled back to him. "I didn't find the bag. But I found something else."

She excitedly showed him her knife (didn't she remember breaking it?) and the Daedalus laptop, both unscathed.

Percy eyes were glazed, but no longer with confusion. "You found them on the hood of a what?"

If he hasn't been in such bad shape, Annabeth might have smacked him. "A Ferrari five-ninety-nine," she said, suppressing an eye roll.

Percy smiled. "Not quite a Maserati Spyder, but still a nice car. Does it run?"

Annabeth laughed, the noise sounding out of place in such a darkness. "Only you could dream of driving a Ferrari at a time like this." Annabeth put her arm around him, and together they hauled themselves up.

His face tight with pain, Percy managed a thin smile. "This is exactly how I pictured it. Italian sports car, giggling blonde, wind in my hair," Percy kept his smile, but his eyes became serious. "Perfect weather for a joyride through Tartarus."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! This is only going to be a few chapters long, all about Percy and Annabeth's escapade in Tartarus. I want to try and make this like how the book may be. PLEASE, give me some feedback, including some of your favorite HoH theories. **

**Favorite, Comment, Subscribe!**


	2. Ferrari Dreams

Sadly, Percy only got about thirty seconds of his picture-perfect highway cruise before the engine of the Ferrari melted into a puddle of steaming metal. He hobbled out of the front seat, pouting at the sight of the mangled sports car.

"My car!" He cried in mock horror.

Annabeth 'rolled down' the window, which basically meant slamming the door until the glass fell down. "I'm sure the person who paid for it feels the same way. At least we have a way to tell time now," she held up a silver watch.

Percy struggled over to inspect. The watch glowed in the darkness, illuminating Annabeth's bruised face. Ten-thirty at night.

"We should make camp, I guess." He scrutinized the car for a moment.

"I don't think its going to explode again. But what if Arachne finds us? She could just pick up the whole car with us in it," Annabeth's worry shone on her face.

Percy almost agreed with her, but he was _tired. _And that customized bench seat was looking better and better.

"C'mon, it'll be fine. I'll take first watch," he gave Annabeth the puppy eyes.

She agreed with a sigh, leaning the seat back a little. Percy opened the car door and slid in. Even though they were exhausted, both of them stared ahead into the blackness sleeplessly.

Eventually, Annabeth turned to Percy, her grey eyes shining in the light. "What are we going to do, Percy?" Her voice was all business, but her lip twisted under her teeth.

Percy had wondered about this himself. How did they know what direction to go in? Could they get to the Doors of Death in time? What if the others didn't make it? "We're going to stick together. We're a team, Wise Girl. We can make it."

Annabeth didn't look reassured. "I don't know. What if this is the end of the line for us? The Fates probably think its too much trouble to keep us alive," she snorted, but her tone was still serious.

Percy put his arm around her shoulder awkwardly, hindered by the clunky sling made of a hacked up seatbelt. "If that was true, Cerberus would've eaten us back in the Underworld."

Annabeth was quiet for awhile before finally smiling. She rested her head on Percy's chest. "I know. Thanks, Percy."

It wasn't long until her breaths deepened and evened out. He kept his arm around her, shifting into a more comfortable position.

To be honest, Tartarus scared the bejesus out of Percy. They hadn't seen a single monster yet, but he had seen the look in Nico's eyes. They'd always had the light of a madman, but... Tartarus had intensified that.

And Annabeth was the other problem. Her foot was worse now, and Percy wasn't sure she'd be able to walk on it. Plus, he felt guilty.

He should've done something! Stupid him, not cutting off the webs as soon as she got away from Arachne. And even still, he should have pulled her out of the pit, saved her from falling. Soon enough, Annabeth was bound to open her eyes to the truth; Percy had failed her, over and over.

Without thinking, Percy smashed his fist into the dashboard of the Ferrari. The car rumbled back, as if the airbag was thinking about bursting out and popping him in the jaw. He glared at it for a moment, daring it to move, before leaning his head back on the seat with a groan.

He didn't notice he was sleeping until he opened his eyes into the dream: the air was churning with dirt. In the middle a woman floated, suspended like a puppet.

She smiled sleepily, her eyes staying shut. _Percy. You're here. And you brought the daughter of Athena with you. You followed my plans so well, its hard to say whose side your on anymore. _

Percy clenched his fists, fighting against her invisible hold. "I'm on the _right _side. Annabeth and I aren't going to let you beat us."

Gaea laughed. _But you are already my pawn. You live because I keep the spider from finding you. _

As soon as she spoke, Percy could see Arachne behind Gaea. She was wreathed in her own webs, snarling and struggling.

Percy set his jaw. "Annabeth defeated her once. She can do it again."

Gaea seemed to regard Percy in the silence. _But you see, this is not your world anymore. There are no gods to protect you, only titans and monsters to break your spirit. Come to me, child, and I will leave them be. For now. _

Her gnarled fingers rose beside her, and a tapestry flew to her hand. The threads wove themselves together, and Percy realized the picture was moving; the Argo II, sailing through the sky. Hazel and Frank stood on the deck in e middle of a deep conversation. All at once, Hazel threw up her hands and turned around, stomping off a few feet.

Gaea smiled again. _Hmmm. Maybe I will not need to interfere. It seems your friends have turned on each other in your absence. _

Pictures of Leo and Frank grappling furiously with each other, Piper leveling her knife at Nico's throat filled his mind. "No!" Percy, roared, breaking free of Gaea hold.

He lunged. Gaea cackled, and the shadows of Tartarus took over once more.

* * *

**Thought I'd squeeze another chappy in before bed. I know it seems like there should be more monsters, but that's all in the next installment. Patience is a virtue, humble audience! **

**Don't forget to favorite, comments, and subscribe!**


End file.
